Game apparatus



0. SMITH. 'GAME APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8, 1918.

Patented Dec. 21, 1920.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OBERLIN SMITH, OF BRIDGETON, NEW JERSEY.

GAME APPARATUS.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OBERLIN SMITH, of Bridgeton, in the county of Cumberland and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus, and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to games of the nature of ten-pins, and more particularly concerns table apparatus comprising groups of pins for several players and a suspended ball or missile, and my especial object is to provided apparatus of such construction as to require a minimum of materialso as to substantially lessen manufacturing cost. Other objects and advantages are hereinafter set forth. My invention, therefore, consists in the game apparatus having the character istics of construction substantially as hereinafter specified and claimed.

In the annexed drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of apparatus embodying my invention, arranged for two persons to play the game;

Fig. 2 is a vertical axial section thereof.

Briefly described, my apparatus comprises a pedestal or platform from the center ofwhich rises a post or mast from which the ball is suspended by a flexible device such as cord or chain and which supports groups of pins (two, three or four groups, according to the number of players) arranged concentric with the post, and the game is played by the players, in turn, throwing or projecting the suspended ball at an adversarys p The post or mast 10 (from a freely revolving swivel 11, in the top of which the ball 12 is suspended by a string 13) rises from a pedestal in the center in the form of a comparatively small disk 14, of wood or other suitable material, the disk having at its center a tapering hole in which the tapered bottom of the post is inserted, friction tight.

Radiating from the disk 14 are groups of approximately equi-distant rods or spindles 15, at the outer extremity of each of which is a block or pad 16 of a size to support, preferabl two pins 17 Thus, for each group of pins there are five spoke-like spindles and five blocks or pads. Of course, I do not limit myself to the use of ten pins in a group, for each side may have more or less than ten. Each spindle is removably in- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 21, 1920.

Application filed November 8, 1918. Serial No. 261,696.

serted into a radial hole 18 in the periphery of the disk, and the inserted portion of the spindle is elastic and so constructed that normally it tends to expand and thereby exerts the necessary friction on the walls of the hole to prevent its accidental separation, while its intentional removal may be readily effected. A very simple and highly efiicient construction for this purpose is shown in the drawings. The inserted portion of the spindle is bifurcated by a slit 19 (which may be a saw cut) that reaches inward from its end, and near the inner end of the slit, a peg 20, which may be a wooden shoe-peg, is driven diametrically across the spindle so as to slightly spread the legs formed by the slit so that the bifurcated portion of the spindle, when out of a radial hole in the disk, is slightly larger than the hole, and, hence, when inserted in the latter tightly fits it. To facilitate its insertion, the extremity of the spindle is rounded or tapered.

The pads 16 are shown in the drawing as of elliptical contour in top view. They may however, be of circular or other contour; and they may be solid blocks, as shown, or stamped sheet metal, hollow underneath, and attached to the spindle as shown or be integral with the spindles which can be stamped in one piece of metal with their respective pads.

The ready removal of the spindles from the disk and their equally ready attachment thereto, is not only advantageous in enabling shipment and storage of the apparatus in a knock-down condition, but in the adaption of the apparatus for different numbers of players, which may necessitate removal of the spindles of one or more groups, or rearrangement of the groups so as to secure that equidistant spacing of the groups which is desirable. Thus, if the board is set for either two, or four players, and it is to be adapted to be three, addition and rearrangement are necessary in the change from two to three, and subtraction and rearrangement are necessary in the change from two to four, or vice versa, addition or removal of spindles is necessary.

To secure the symmetrical, and equidistant spacing of the groups, and to provide an interval or space between groups, the disk 14 should have at least twenty-four radial, spindle-receiving holes. four players, five holes for each group would be provided, with a single hole between ad- Thus, for

jacent groups; for threeplayers there would be three holes between adjacent groups; and for two players there would be seven holes between the two groups, on each side thereof.

By my disk and spindle construction, a material saving of the wood or other material is effected, besides the other advantages mentioned, and at the same time the apparatus is given a most novel and attractive appearance.

Preferably the pads have shallow sockets 21 to receive the pins, but if desired, may be provided with colored spots in lieu thereof; or made without means to designate the position of the pins.

What I claim is l. A. game apparatus comprising a plurality of groups of pins, one group for each player, supports for the respective groups and a ball-suspending post about which the supports are situated,'said supports being shiftable to vary the distance between the groups of pins according to the number of players to participate in the game.

2. A game apparatus comprising a plurality of groups of pins, one group for each player, supports for the respective groups, each group support consisting of a plurality of separate blocks, and a ball-suspending post about which the supports are situated, said supports being shiftable to vary the distance between the groups of pins according to the number of players to participate in the game. 1

3. A game apparatus of the kind described, comprising a central pedestal, spindles radiating therefrom, and pin supports attached to the spindles, the spindles being removably attached to the pedestal.

4:. A game apparatus of the kind described, comprising a central pedestal, spindles radiating therefrom, and pin supports attached to the spindles, the pin support for each spindle having a size to hold a plurality of pins.

5. A. game apparatus of the kind described, comprising a central pedestal, spindles radiating therefrom, and pin supports attached to the spindles, the pin support for each spindle having a size to hold a plurality of pins, and the spindles being removably attached to the central pedestal.

6. A game apparatus of the kind described, comprising a central pedestal, spindles radiating therefrom, and pin supports attached to the spindles, the pedestal 'having radial holes that receive the ends of the spindles, said ends being bifurcated and tending to expand.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing, I have hereunto set my'hand.

OBERLIN SMITH. 

